Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Finucane for raising this issue on the Adjournment. The Department is delighted to clarify the position concerning St. James's school, Cappagh, County Limerick. The Department recently announced the introduction of a general allocation model to provide for resource teaching supports for pupils within the high incidence disability category and for pupils with learning support requirements. The new model replaces that which was notified to schools in June 2004, which has been reviewed to take account of difficulties it may have caused for smaller schools. The introduction of this new system will involve the provision of an estimated additional 340 permanent posts in primary schools from September next. A further 320 posts are being provided on a temporary basis to facilitate the transition to the new system. It is a matter for schools to make arrangements to provide teaching support to those pupils who qualify for such support from its general allocation.

The Department has now issued a letter to all primary schools notifying them of their general allocation and their clustering arrangements, if appropriate. The allocation for the school referred to by the Senator is 20 hours and the school has been notified accordingly. I would also like to advise the Senator that individual allocations of resource teaching support may continue where a pupil has been assessed as having a low incidence disability and where there is a continuing need for such support. In the case of pupils with low incidence disabilities, the National Council for Special Education, through the local special educational needs organisers, will review pupils' progress on an ongoing basis.

The Department is currently finalising a circular for schools which will contain detailed information on how the new system will operate. It is intended that this circular will issue before the end of the current school year. I can confirm to Senator Finucane that the school in question has forwarded a proposal regarding a revision of the clustering arrangements that had been notified to it. The proposal involves retaining the resource teaching post on a permanent basis in St. James's school by clustering its existing part-time, high-incidence hours with hours from a local school. Officials from the Department discussed the matter with the school principal earlier this week. The Department is currently examining the proposal and will be in direct contact with St. James's school shortly. I thank the Senator once again for affording me the opportunity to clarify the position in regard to this matter.